The Tell-Tale Heart

1. 28 April 2011 The Tell-Tale Heart Narrator asks why you say that he is mad? He is sane! Narrator cracks, rips up the floor boards and exposes the chopped up body of the old man to the 3 policemen. Starter: Write down 10 key events in from the story, in the right order if you can!

2. Lesson Objectives I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

3. Tension in a Tell-Tale Heart • A tell-tale heart is full of tension – mental or emotional strain. • How does Edgar Allan Poe create tension? • Short simple sentences • Rhetorical questions • Repetition I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

4. What is a short, simple sentence? The bed creaked. I stood still. I could hear my own breath. Machine-gun phrasing! What is a rhetorical question? What could I do? What is repetition? I screamed and screamed and screamed! I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

5. Can you spot the: • 1. Short simple • sentences • 2.Rhetorical questions  TRUE! -- nervous -- very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses -- not destroyed -- not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily -- how calmly I can tell you the whole story. • 3.Repetition I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

6. Can you spot the:  TRUE! -- nervous -- very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses -- not destroyed -- not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily -- how calmly I can tell you the whole story. • 3.Repetition • 2.Rhetorical questions • 1. Short simple • sentences I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

7. Underline the short sentences in red. Underline the rhetorical questions in blue. Underline the repetition in green. • Now it’s your turn! No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased --and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath -- and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men -- but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror! --this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! --and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! -- I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

8. How is tension created? The noise got louder. The men chatted. They knew what I had done. I couldn’t bear it any longer. I screamed, “Lift up the floor boards and you will find his heart” or I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

9. How is tension created? Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror! --this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! --and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! -- Which is more interesting? I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

10. The Tell-Tale Heart in Ten Ticks – use your starter • Narrator asks why you say that he is mad? He is sane! • Narrator cracks, rips up the floor boards and exposes the chopped up body of the old man to the 3 policemen. I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

11. The Tell-Tale Heart Tension Chart I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension High Tension Mid Tension Low Tension Why does Edgar Allen Poe change the tension in the story? How does the change in speed in the story, the pace effect you?

12. Using these techniques in your own writing – more on this next lesson! • Watch this clip. • Imagine you are the character – how would you feel? Write down what his happening, building the tension as he finds the heart, using: • Rhetorical question • Short simple sentences • Repetition I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension

13. Plenary Can you break the code? Rgnqsrdmdobdrathkcsdmrhnm. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w z y I mustidentify features of language that build tension I shouldexplain these features of language I couldapply these techniques to your own writing to build up tension